The Devil You Know
by Pleurez Mes Yeux
Summary: There's something frightening about knowing exactly what your enemy is capable of. My take on why Yami hesitates before Yugi's pep-talk in his duel with Noah.


**Another introspective Tami one-shot, this time dealing with his duel with Noah. Guess I don't have all that much to say about this one. The duel isn't mentioned. I guess that's kind of a running theme in me stories, isn't it? ^^; I never actually played the game, so since I don't know the cards or many of the rules, I guess I'd rather just gloss over the duels themselves, especially since I'm way more interested in the characters, anyway. **

**It probably goes without saying, but if you read, I'd love a review!**

**~Pleurez**

"Better the devil you know than the one you don't." That's the way the saying goes.

I had to disagree.

While the unknown is unnerving, there's something even more sobering about staring down a foe, knowing exactly what he is capable of. And watching Noah was like staring into a mirror. I knew better than anyone what the sort of isolation Noah had endured in this virtual world could do to a person's mind.

Granted, compared to the puzzle, his prison was paradise, and six years was a pittance compared to three millennia. Still, this sort of thing wasn't suited to "my horse is bigger than your horse" type thinking. Despite the gilded nature of the cage, prolonged solitude and captivity had the power to warp and distort even the strongest of spirits.

It pained me to realize that I understood the ferocity with which the boy lashed out at my friends. I recognized it as the same fury with which I had sought revenge on those who had wronged Yugi. Thrust into a world I no longer knew, with no sense of who I was or why I was there, I'd groped blindly for some sense of purpose, clinging to the first thing I managed to grab hold of—vengeance. Though, I suppose at the time it had seemed like justice—a much nobler cause.

But Yugi's kindness taught me.

The close proximity of his soul to mine—the light he shone into my darkness—had slowly coaxed me out of my blind insanity. He'd saved me, teaching me restraint and forgiveness. I doubted I would ever be as merciful as him, but he'd shown me enough to mold me into something vaguely resembling a human.

Noah was unhinged. Dangerous. Vindictive.

Everything I could have so easily become.

And that knowledge, far more so than any of the cards on the field, left me wondering if it wouldn't have been wiser to give up. There would be no reasoning with the child and if I lost, I risked condemning Yugi to spending an eternity locked away in this prison.

I shook my head. I couldn't do that to him.

My hand hovered over my deck.

"Yami!"

I looked up as a familiar voice broke the silence.

"Yami, don't give up. You can still win this!"

Yugi crouched before me, extending a hand to help me to my feet.

"You have everything you need. You just have to look inside yourself to find it."

He led me into the labyrinth of the puzzle, pushing open the door to a room I'd never seen before. I flinched, bracing myself. There were many awful things hidden away in the recesses of the maze.

But, far from some shadow creature waiting to attack, I was greeted by my friends, smiling and eager to offer their support despite the fact that I'd failed them so terribly.

"I… Forgive me."

I looked away, ashamed that I hadn't been able to save them.

"Oh, please," a dry voice snapped. "Don't tell me my fate's in the hands of a quitter!"

Kaiba.

No doubt trying to help in his own, abrasive way.

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I swear, Yugi. If you don't get my brother out of here you'll wish _you_ had been turned to stone."

"He's out there trying to save _your_ sorry ass, moneybags! I wou-"

"Quit your barking, mutt."

"Stop it both of you! This isn't helping."

I thanked the gods for Serenity. Not that the others wouldn't have tried, but she was the only one who could reliably keep her brother in check. And if he didn't take the bait, it wouldn't be long before Kaiba grew bored.

I turned to look at all of them.

Five warm smiles and one scowl.

Yugi faced me. "See? All our friends are right here. No matter what, Noah can't take that from us."

I hesitated.

"Come on. Let's do this together."

In the face of his determination, I couldn't bring myself to continue to doubt.

Friendship was what had nursed my own fractured soul back to humanity. Perhaps winning and showing Noah how much lighter the world could be without hate and bitterness would help my opponent heal.

If I gave him what he wanted, he would never learn.

"Very well."

I got to my feet, ready to take the first steps towards leading Noah down a path very similar to the one I had travelled.

Noah and I… We weren't so, very different…

So perhaps there was hope.


End file.
